Protests Continue Over Stetson's Wrestling Demise

''What happened to Stetson wrestling?'' It's both a rhetorical question and a statement of protest.

The question is asked via bumper stickers being distributed by opponents to the university's announcement last week that the program has been dropped.

The protestors -- athletes and supporters associated with the wrestling team -- know the answers to their question. But they don't understand them or think that they are justified.

A vocal group of opponents, led by Stetson wrestler Michael Morakis, has strung banners in the campus cafeteria, collected signatures to petition the administration, urged businesses to write in support, written university officials and even composed a rap song that plays over the speaker system in the cafeteria.

So far, Morakis has met with a brick wall. Upon contacting President-elect Dr. Douglas Lee, ''I was told he wasn't the guy responsible for cutting the program. Then Athletic Director Glenn Wilkes said he wasn't responsible for cutting the program,'' Morakis said, adding both were unable to meet with him concerning the matter.

At this point, it appears highly unlikely his and the other supporters' efforts will have any effect on the university's decision.

''I've seen things like this done in the past -- the only thing that works is the dollar bill,'' wrestling Coach John Hauser said. ''I've pretty much given up. I figure it's gone. The damage has been done irrevocably.''

Hauser said he has written recruits telling them of the program's demise, and notified the coaches of the teams Stetson had scheduled for next season.

''I'm not saying that it can't be done. I'd do it in a heartbeat if given the chance,'' Hauser said.

Stetson said budget problems were the deciding factor in dropping the wrestling program along with volleyball.

Both sports were added several years ago when the NCAA ruled that Division I schools must field eight sports. The NCAA recently reduced that requirement to six. Stetson fields teams in basketball, baseball, soccer, tennis, golf and cross country.

Of the non-revenue sports, wrestling seems to be one of the logical choices to cut due to a combination of reasons, said Stetson sport information director Dick Westervelt, who also manages the athletic department budget.

Westervelt said that the budgets are about the same for all of the non- revenue sports and those that have limited gate receipts. However, wrestling was slightly higher and the limited budget still was not sufficient to field the program in the fashion Stetson would have liked.

Wrestling was budgeted for $12,000 last year, Hauser said. Hauser's salary was $2,500 of that amount. Hauser, who commutes from Orlando where he teaches at Colonial High School, had requested a $3,500 salary increase. When Hauser realized the program's existence might be in danger, he withdrew his request and offered to continue the program on the same budget as the previous season. ''I said if it's the raise causing problems, I don't want it. I just want the team to exist,'' Hauser said.

Stetson officials assured Hauser that the increased request was not the cause of the cut.

''I suppose all factors have an effect, but that was not the deciding issue,'' Westervelt said, adding if the issue had been a matter of the coach's salary, they simply would have found another coach.

Though the schedule for 1986-87 season had been worked out, scheduling was cited as another major factor.

No other schools in the Trans America Athletic Conference, of which Stetson is a member, have wrestling teams. All the other remaining sports at the university compete in conference play. Stetson would not have wanted to drop a sport that counts toward overall conference standings.

Stetson's was the last remaining wrestling program in the state of Florida. The University of Florida has wrestling as only a club sport, and the University of Central Florida dropped its program at the end of the season. There are few programs still in existence in the south, which meant long trips and an extensive travel budget for Stetson.

Without the lure of two schools to compete with in the area, Stetson officials felt it would be increasingly difficult to get northern teams to make the trip to Florida for only one match.

Wilkes noted that the university also was concerned about the safety of the students on long nights on the roads.

The problem of travel funding was reinforced recently when the team requested additional funds for post-season competition. The Hatters qualified five wrestlers for NCAA regionals in Pennsylvania but were not alloted the money to attend. Hauser raised the money through private contributions and two wrestlers placed.

''I think it was embarrassing for the university to have the guys raise money to go,'' Hauser said. ''It wasn't a class thing to have a program they can't support. They didn't have enough money to run the program the way it should be run, so they don't want to do it at all.''